Quiteh earns Little All-America honors

Friday

Dec 20, 2013 at 12:01 AM

NEW YORK — West Texas A&M quarterback Dustin Vaughan and Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh have been selected to The Associated Press Little All-America team, which honors the top players in Division II, III and NAIA.

RALPH D. RUSSO

NEW YORK — West Texas A&M quarterback Dustin Vaughan and Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh have been selected to The Associated Press Little All-America team, which honors the top players in Division II, III and NAIA.

Vaughan and Quiteh are finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the Division II player of the year.

For Quiteh, a Pocono Mountain West graduate, it's the second straight year he has been selected to the Little All-America first team and third time in his career. The senior leads Division II in rushing at 182.9 yards per game and has scored 29 touchdowns this season. He finished second on the Division II career rushing list with 7,523 yards.

Vaughan passed for 5,401 yards to lead all NCAA divisions and 53 touchdowns.

Defensive back Jack Moro of St. Cloud State also made the Little All-America first team for the second straight season.

Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers, the third finalists for the Harlon Hill, which will be awarded tonight, was selected to the second team.

Joining Quiteh in the backfield is Thomas More's Domonique Hayden, the leading rusher in the NCAA this season at 201.7 yards per game.

Jeff Janis and Saginaw Valley State and Tyler Rutenbeck of Division III Dubuque are the receivers, and Joe Don Duncan of Dixie State is the first-team tight end.

Quiteh's Bloomsburg teammate, Brian Clarke, leads the offensive line.

The rest of the first team is Matt Armstrong of Grand Valley State; Armand Jenifer of Johns Hopkins; Cole Manhart of Nebraska-Kearney; and Cody Carlson of Northwest Missouri State.

Defensive end Matt Longacre, a sophomore, gives Northwest Missouri State two first-team All-Americans.

The Bearcats play Lenoir-Rhyne in the Division II championship game Saturday in Florence, Ala.

Running back Rondell White of West Chester made the first team as an all-purpose player and Steven Wakefield of Mercyhurst is the kicker.

Colorado State-Pueblo defensive end Darius Allen, who leads Division II with 15½ sacks and was recently named the Gene Upshaw award winner as the best lineman in D-II, joins Longacre on the defensive line.

The rest of the line is Jake Metz of Shippensburg and Matt Fechko of Mount Union, which plays Wisconsin-Whitewater for the Division III championship on Friday night in Salem, Va.

The rest of the defensive backs are Pierre Desir of Lindenwood; Andre Carter of Division III Salisbury; and Justin Bell of Ohio Dominican.

Pittsburg State linebacker Nate Dreiling, who made the third team last year, is a first-team Little All-American this year. Seth Mathis, of Division III Bethel and Tavarius Wilson of North Alabama are the other linebackers.